Color screen for a cathode ray tube



July 1, 1958 s. ZALOCHA 2,841,742

COLOR SCREEN FOR A CATHODE RAY TUBE Filed Feb. 15. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I

Fig. 3

.Sfephen Za/ocha IN V EN TOR.

July 1, 1958 s. ZALOCHA COLOR SCREEN FOR A CATHODE RAY TUBE Filed Feb. 15. 1954 2 SheetsSheet 2 Fig. 2

SELECTOR Stephen Za/ocha IN VEN TOR.

coLoRscREEN nonv A s'CAdEHODEil-AX st p'hen al chai nb rofN Y. I

Application :Eebruary s sst smai iNo.-. 410,313 .2 Claims. in. 315-21) j 'iIhis invention :relates ito ;a icolor :screen for .-a :cathode -ray tube ;and particularly to a screen for producing ,colored images on ithe screen ,of :a :television :tube, used .in TV. receivingapparatus. i

Inthe'productionof images onithe screenssof cathod ray tubes, lit;isicustomary'torprovide a.'coating .of asuit- -able phosphor on the tuhei anditdactivategthe phosphor by means of a cathode ray gun. In order to produce colored images, it is necessary to utilize phosphors having different color characteristics. For-example, it .ispossible ;to-utilize phosphors having variousco'lors, such as red, -blue and green, and to blend .these phosphorsltogether to produce various colored-pictures. :It hasheretoforebeen .customary to divide the screen into'a pluralityof relative- -ly minute squares and to activate the :screen in squares to produce a pattern of the -so-called television 'tu'be. :Usually the squares are activated by line scanning, in :which acathode ray is-directed successively onrthe squares following a particular line after which zthe squares in the next-adjacent line will likewise be scanned, the light varying in intensityduring the scanning operation. Because of the persistence of the phosphorescence after the bombardment the consequent resultis an' apparently continuous glowing image ofvar'ious intensity. 'Topro'duce a color image, it is necessary to activate various color phosphors in proportion to the amounts of these colors in the original image so that the reproduction will he substantially -the same blend of colors as the original square presented. \I

The present invention provides a screen for reproducing the co1ors.of=an original' byaproviding each :of the squares of the screen withe plurality vof phosphors, as for example, a portion of red, a portion of blue and a portion of green. Also, -it-is necessary to provideseparate excitations foreachcfthesephesphorsand to provide means for concentratingthe excitation on the particular phosphor so that the excitation, for example, of the green phosphor will not also excite the blue phosphor and 1 produce a'wrong color. Inthepresent example, the cathode ray *is directed-tea-partieular-pliosphor hy means of-an electrically polarized conductor associated therewith. In the present construction, each row or strata of the screen is provided with a plurality of microconductors and the phosphor for each of the strata is divided into relatively narrow strips which are associated with the underlying microconductors. Any suitable means may be utilized to polarize the microconductors with the particular color desired to be excited.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved cathode ray screen.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a cathode ray screen which will reproduce colors.

United States atent It is a further object of the invention to provide a cathice . 2 1-iOther objects and-manyof the attendant advantagesof Lthezpresentdnvention will beapparent-from the following .detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing in which: Figurefl isa planview of the end of-a cathode ray tub :having asuitable phosphor screenp'laced thereon;

Figure 2 is a :greatly' magnified fragment of the screen .showingtheiarrangementof phosphors and polarized'con- 'ductors' therein;

:Figure 3,is =a greatly' magnified cross-section of a por- -tion.of the screen-showingthe constructionutilizing micro- .=,conductors completely insulated from thematerial of the screen;

Figure 4 is .a similar zview showing the-embedded contductorsihavingla portion thereof-in-electrical contact-with the phosphors; and

:FigureS :is a similar Niew showingthe microconductors :co'mpletely embedded-in the phosphor -and-separated from :the material ofthe cathode screen. I

In the -exemplary embodiment according to the invention, the cathode ray :tube 10 is constructed ofsuitable transparent or :translucent material and is provided with :an .endportion :12 which is of substantially plane forma- .tion,'at least over a portion thereof, and a portion ofthe end .12.:has phosphors applied thereto, preferably in a plurality .of parallel strips with the entire surface being arranged into a grid of any suitable shapeor dimensions.

The screen'1-4 is fortpurposesof convenience broken up into a ,plurality of squares 16 which represent an area which will be substantially simultaneously energized by the impingement :of a cathode ray thereon, such-as that produced by the cathode ray gun of the television construction. In the normal operation of the screen, each portion 10f thescreenwou'ld be activated by scanning a 'line' consisting of 'blocks 16 and then immediately thereafter, the next adjacent line of blocks 16 with each of the blocks or squares 16 having a ditferent quantity of illumination, depending upon the intensity of the beam which, in turn, is determined "by :the intensity :of the original source. Inthe construction according-to the present inventiomeach block 1'6 will be provided with three distinct strips-of phosphors 18, -and 22,:with the strips 18, 20 and 22 producing a-different coloro'f light when excited. For example, the strip 18 may produce aredlco'lor when excited and the'strip 20 may produce a blue .color when excited, while thestrip '22 will produce agreen color when excited; Obviously, -by -'exciting thecolors '18, 20sand 22, in proportion to the amounts of those colors 'in an original object, the square 16 may-reproduce substantiallyidentical colorswiththeorig'inalobjectbeing reproduced. In order to-reproduce 'the'vision, according to the present invention, the row 'o'f-block s 16 will be scanned three times. The first time, the electron beam will be focused on the strip -18, thesecon'd-time on the strip 20 and :the third time on the strip 22 of each of the blocks 16 forming a continuous band across the face of the screen.

In order to prevent the cross excitation of the phosphors 18, 20 and 22, focusing conductors 24, 26 and 28 are placed under the phosphor strips 18, 20 and 22, respectively.

Microconductors 24, 26 and 28 are then connected to a suitable polarized collector device which maybe of any known type so that on the reception of a particular signal, the device 30 will polarize one of the conductors 24, 26 and 28 so that it will be positive while the remaining conductors will be polarized negative. For example, if the intensity of beam according to the red is being broadcast, the device 30 will cause the conductors 24 to be polarized positive while the conductors 26 and 28 will be polarized negative. Consequently, the electron beam falling on the square 16 will be attracted to the phosphor over the conductor 24, while it will be repelled from the phosphors 'positive while the conductors 24 and .28 will'be polarized negative so that allof the electrons being bombarded on :the section will be attracted, to. the strip 20.:.Obviously,

. the parts thereof may bereadilyresorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 1. A screen for a television tube of a television receiving apparatus with a surface adapted to be bombarded by cathode rays which are moved over the screen along lines duras many color schemes may be involved as the nature and H size of the area will permit. However, it is usually customary. to provide only the three standard colors, red, .blue and green and to excitethese colors to the desired intensity so that because of the persistence of the glowof the phosphors, the particular squares will glow..with sub- I stantially the color and brightness of the voriginalobject.

Preferably, the microconductors24, .26 and 28 are embedded in the material of the screen 12 and, as ShOWnIlH Figure 3, they are embedded sufficiently deeply so that a conductors so that theyare.completely-insulated from. the phosphor strips 18, and 22. t s

- A modification according to Figure 4 shows the surface 12 has the microconductors 24, 26 andJ28'embedded layer of the screen material completely covers the micro- K only partially into the material thereof sothat a portion of the conductors 24, 26 and 28 will be in'el'ectrical contact with the phosphors 18', 20 and 22'.

-- In the modification according to Figure 5, the tube 10 is provided with a screen face 40 which is completely plane and'the phosphor strips 42, 44 and 46 are applied thereto, I

and microconductors 48,50 and 52 are embedded inthe phosphor strips andcompletely independentflof the face 40 of the tube.

In the operation of either of the modifications, allof' the conductors 24 associated with the particularphosphor 18 of any of the blocks will be connected together, and likewise all of the conductors 26 associated with the phosphors 20 will be connected together-so that a selector 30 will be a simple selector device responsive, to the color .being broadcast so thatthe proper phosphor will alwaysb'eqexcited, regardless of the square being excited by the color being broadcast. r

In the operation of the'device, it will be apparent that suitable selector impulses will be broadcast along with each of the various broadcasts as'sociatedwith aparticular color, so that if a red color intensity isbeing broadcast,

the selector device will be responsive to'the broadcast signal to energize the microconductor associated with the phosphors reproducing the red color, and likewise with the other colors. 7 1

Obviously, the microconductors 24 to, 28 will be of such small size that they will be substantially invisible in-the screen and particularly will be invisible when the viewer is sufiiciently far from the screen so that the various squares blend into a common picture.

While for purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of the invention hasbeen shown and described according to the best present, understanding thereof, it will beapparent to those skilled'in the art that various changes and modifications in the construction andarrangement of ing scanning, comprisinga base of vitreous material, a

plurality of closely spaced, parallel focusing conductors, in the shape ofmicroconductors arranged insubstantial parallelism to the lines along which scanning takes place, located in close proximity to the central portion of the color producing phosphorstrip placed on said screen surface adjacent phosphor strips having different color characteristics varying from strip to strip in predetermined sequence, conductor means for connecting focusing conductors associated with phosphor strips of the same color electrically, means for impressing electrical potentials on said conductor means and focusing conductors, the microconductors .formingthe focusing conductors being insulated from the Iphosphor strips by being embedded in the vitreous material of the screen directly behind the surface covered by the phosphor strips, said focusing conductor being-thus adapted tolocate. the cathode ray centrally on the color strip, thus minimizing the deviation of the oathode ray. I

2. A screen for television tubes of television receiving apparatus, said screen .having a. surface adapted to be bombarded by cathode rays moved over the screen along lines during scanning, comprising a base of vitreous material, a plurality ofstrips each consisting of a color pro-- ducing phosphor, placed on said base of virteous material, the adjacent phosphor strips having different color characteristics which vary from strip to strip in a predetermined sequence, the said phosphor strips being parallel to'each other and parallel tothe lines along which the screen is scanned, focusing conductors. partly embedded 'in the vitreous material of the base of the screen and partly embedded in the phosphor strips in closeproximity tothe central portion thereof, means for connecting the focusing conductorsiassociated with phosphor strips of the same color characteristics electrically with each other and means for impressing electrical potential on said microconductors, said focusing conductors when charged centering the cathode ray on the phosphor strips, thus minimizing the deviation of the, cathode ray from its correct position.

References Cited in the tile of patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,784,341 Hufima cnflrr Mar. 5, 1957 

